Of Use
by ZuzuSuya
Summary: Plagued by his former life, Satozaki tries to move on. One night, a new person steps in and everything is the best it has ever been. However, things don't last and he finds himself thrown into an inescapable situation, forced to defend and deceive those he cherishes while confronting his personal struggles. He can't change the cards he's been dealt so how will he play them?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: My Name Is Satozaki

"I don't wanna do this!" I protest.

"Mama's gonna be upset if you don't do what she says. Bad boys get punishment. Do you want to be punished?" he asks.

"N-No! Of course not!" I exclaim.

"Can't have it both ways. If you wanna avoid that then you'll do as you're told. That's how this works," he snickers.

"H-How could you laugh about this?" I ask, unnerved.

"Your words don't matter at all! Once you start, it will quickly become second nature! I look forward to how you perform, new brother of mine!" he cackles wildly.

What am I going to do?

The large woman who brought me here walks in with a big smile on her face.

"Boys! It's showtime!" she says excitedly, unlocking our cell door.

"C'mon brother! We have to get into our special costumes!" he says, grabbing my wrist and forcing me to come with him.

The woman dresses us in these weird clothes and makes the boy take me with him.

We stand before a big door.

"You're going to need this," he says, putting a knife in my hand.

My hand trembles heavily.

He suddenly lays a hand on my cheek, making me look at him.

"Follow my lead and we're sure to get those good boy points. Things will work out as long as you trust me," he smiles, his voice imitating whatever brotherly love sounds like.

His smile, whether genuine or fake, gives me a feeling that everything will be okay no matter what.

"O-Okay," I say.

The door before us slowly raises, revealing a circular arena.

In the arena stands a man, seemingly confused.

An announcer yells over the raging audience.

"That's our cue," he says, pulling out a knife for himself.

Without hesitation, he crazily runs out into the arena.

I… must go too.

Going into the arena, I watch him chase down the now frightened man.

He slashes the adult's legs up like it's nothing, bringing him to the ground while the masses cheer on.

Taking notice of my inaction, people start calling me out.

"What's that other kid supposed to be doing?! C'mon, let's see what you're capable of!" they shout.

Must I really participate?

The boy drags him across the ground to me, leaving behind a trail of blood.

He forces him to stand up on his knees.

"Make your move," he says.

"I-I beg of you! Please don't kill me!" the man weeps, fear prevalent in his eyes.

Something suddenly flips inside me.

Breathing heavily, I slowly raise the knife in the air, watching him desperately struggle to no avail.

"DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" the people chant.

Looking at the boy for his answer, he nods excitedly in agreement.

My… hands are tied.

I must trust him.

"It's you or me," I say coldly.

Stabbing him in the right eye, he screams and writhes in extreme agony as the contents of his eye spill out.

Pulling the knife out, it yanks the eye straight out of his socket, stuck on the blade.

The audience roars.

Something about this… seems strangely right!

"How does it feel?" the boy asks.

"Good. Give me one of his hands," I answer, removing the eye from the knife.

"Here you go," he says with glee, letting me get a grip on a wrist.

"NO! PLEASE NO MORE!" the man yells.

Another bout of screams come out of him as I slowly cut into the skin between the fingers, getting my own hands dirty with blood as I mutilate his hand.

It's like I'm slipping away.

"You've gone quiet. No more screams or pleading out of you?" I question.

He just looks at me, panting.

Of no use anymore then.

With one swing, I slash his throat open, blood spraying all over my face and body as well as the boy's cheek.

What were once screams is now the gurgling of blood from a dying man, life draining away in his remaining eye.

For some reason, I can't help but crack a smile and giggle about it!

The boy seems pleased with me as well as the crowd.

Letting go of the body, he stands beside me and throws an arm over my shoulder.

"See? You're a natural at this!" he says.

We laugh together like we just heard the funniest joke of our lives.

"Seems our scrappers were warming up. How about we give them another?" the announcer suggests.

The crowd hypes up as an answer.

Just like that, another person is shoved into the arena.

Our playpen.

Looking at us, the new man tries to climb out of the arena to no avail, begging for mercy and to be spared.

"Ready?" the boy asks.

"Yes," I say.

Running across the arena towards our next victim, his panicked calls for help increase.

Being faster than me, he jumps on the guy and stabs him in the back repeatedly.

Catching up, I tackle the guy to the ground, both of us pinning him down while he squirms and pleads.

Taking our knives, we carve the back of his skull out and mash his brain like a potato, producing final shrieks of terror one would think impossible with us giggling all the while.

"How brutal! Did you all enjoy the show?" the announcer asks.

The crowd claps and raves.

Afterwards, we're taken out of the arena, cleaned up, and thrown back in our cage.

"That was an excellent show from the two of you," the woman compliments.

"Does that mean we get good boy points, Mama?" he questions.

"Of course! I'll be right back once I get your food for the night," she says, leaving the room.

It's strange.

As easily as things clicked, I feel normal again.

The things I did are slightly blurry in my mind but I know it was cruel.

Yet I'm still alive just as he said.

It's all necessary for survival.

However, I can't let that euphoric feeling rule over me or I'll lose myself.

I'll try to balance it out.

"Good job out there! I thought you were going to give your life up instead. That would have been disappointing," he says.

"Of course I wasn't going to do that. It should've been obvious," I say.

On his hands and knees, he creepily crawls towards me.

"The hell are you being so weird for?" I ask, scooting away from him with my back hitting the side of the cage.

"You gotta tell me how it felt! To kill for your first time!" he says, close to my face.

"I-I told you it felt good. W-What else can I say?" I stutter nervously.

"There's more to it than just that. Spill the beans," he insists.

"It was very… fun. Like something was taking over me," I explain.

"That sounds something like me! We're going to get along perfectly," he says.

"That's good to hear," I say.

"I just came up with a wonderful idea of my own design. You get good brother points!" he says.

How original.

"What are good brother points for?" I question.

"Playtime and exciting feelings," he grins.

He jumps on me and attacks so I fight back, both of us starting to chuckle.

Tackling him, we wrestle around and he ends up pinning me down.

"Did you think you had a chance to beat me on your first try?" he laughs.

"No but it was a decent attempt at least," I snicker.

His smile fades a bit, giving way to a different expression.

Like he desperately wants something.

"You're going to be a really great brother," he says quietly, leaning closer and closer to my face.

"H-Hey! W-What are you do-," my words are cut by his lips.

What's this… new feeling that's happening?

Pulling his lips away, I breathe heavily.

"Do you still trust me?" he asks.

"I-I do," I say.

I… I have to.

He continues this… playtime with his hands running down my chest to my pants, tugging them down.

"Aaaahh," he makes me gasp.

We shouldn't be doing this.

But it feels really good.

Pinning my wrists down by my side, he keeps bobbing his head while looking up into my eyes.

Something quickly surges through me and I make a sound I've never made before, leaving me panting and body shuddering.

He gulps down the substance and twirls his finger at me.

I somehow pick up on what he's suggesting.

He lets me stand up and I go over to the side of the cage, grabbing tightly onto it.

Looking back at him, he approaches and grabs my waist.

I yelp, feeling it enter me.

"K***," he grunts lowly but I can't hear his voice clearly.

"R-Rei!" I exclaim as he keeps bumping his waist against me.

"REI!" I suddenly wake up, yelling.

Breathing frantically, I quickly look around.

I fell asleep on the couch again.

Looking at my hands, I notice they're trembling.

The nightmares are starting to come back once more.

We're the same age, came from the same background, even grew up together and I'm supposed to be the more responsible and mature one.

So why the hell am I the only one with these problems and he seems to be better off?!

I hope one of the investigators kill that bitch for what she put us through!

Kill her myself if the opportunity arises!

And kill that traitorous bastard for what he did too!

I wish Rei and the others believed what I said about that asshole and why I attacked him!

What I wouldn't give to RIP THE GUTS OUT OF BOTH OF THOSE PIECES OF SHIT AND WATCH THEM DIE A SLOW AND AGONIZING DEATH!

I sigh.

Starting to sound like my old self again.

I need to calm down.

Rin wouldn't want me to do all of that even though I'm still pissed about it.

I'm trying to respect her wishes and move on but it's just so hard to truly let go!

Grabbing the pill bottle off the coffee table, I quickly undo the cap and down a pill.

I really hate these fucking things.

Can't have another "incident" happen though.

_They_ will definitely kill me if I lose my control again.

Like all the other bad moments I have from time to time, let's review myself.

My name… is Satozaki and I just wanna be happy and enjoy this much more normal life I've been given.

Nothing else.

See? Feeling leagues better already once again.

I hear knocking coming from the front door.

It's nighttime and sounds like it's even raining.

So just who could be visiting me?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Some Fun Of My Own

I swear if this is a prank or something.

Opening the door, I'm greeted with a woman.

Huh.

Black tank top and jacket.

Waist length blonde hair and red eyes.

Something about her seems so familiar.

Nah, it just might be the medication kicking in.

"Knocking on someone's door this late at night?" I ask.

"May I come in to get out of the rain?" she answers with a question.

"I don't see why not," I say.

"Thanks," she says, walking in.

Just now noticing she's carrying a big duffel bag in her right hand.

How did I miss that?

And what kind of person is walking around outside at night to begin with?

A ghoul, that's who.

While she still has her back to me, I slowly step towards my potted plant and reach into it, pulling my pistol out.

I quietly slip it into my pants pocket.

"So I take it you need something?" I question while she removes her jacket and shoes.

"To be blunt, I need a place to stay for a bit," she says.

Randomly showing up at a total stranger's house in the middle of the night.

Strike one.

"I'm not a charity," I say.

"I figured. We can negotiate that in a minute," she says.

Her stomach growls, making her blush.

"Feeling hungry?" I chuckle.

"I-I've brought my own food," she says, trying not to sound embarrassed.

"Oh, really? Mind if I see it?" I say playfully, walking up to her side and looking into her bag.

"H-Hey! Didn't anyone ever tell you it's inappropriate to look through a woman's things?" she shouts, covering my eyes with her hand.

I'll be cautious and call that strike two.

"For all I know, you could be armed and planning to kill me or something," I snicker while she removes her hand.

"Yeah? Armed with what?" she asks, hands on her hips and leaning forward a bit.

"You know, things like a gun, a knife… or a kagune," I say, my tone becoming serious.

"Seriously? You think I'm a ghoul?" she laughs.

I remove my rectangle glasses and toss them on the table.

Strike three!

"I do," I quickly pull my gun out and aim it at her head.

"Really?" she says, sounding unsurprised.

"No sudden movements. I have Q Bullets loaded. Are you a ghoul or not?" I say quickly.

Sighing, she closes her eyes for a second and then opens them, revealing her kakugan.

I look slightly off to the side.

"I'm not here to eat you and I'm not looking for a fight," she says calmly.

"What if I am?" I smirk.

"Then you're gonna lose," she smirks back.

Sounds like a challenge.

"Name's Satozaki," I say.

"Name's Yukari but I prefer Yuka," she says.

My finger pulling the trigger, she smacks my hand to the side, bullet whizzing past her face.

Quickly grabbing my arm, she flips me onto the table, breaking me through it on my back with the gun falling out of my hand.

I let my guard down far too much for that to happen.

Had she gone for something fatal, it would've been a great mistake on my part.

"Not bad," I say, getting back up on my feet like it was nothing.

"Not the average human, I see," she says.

"You could say I've had a lot of experience with pain. I'll get serious now," I say, cracking my neck and knuckles.

Never fought a ghoul barehanded before.

Interested to see how this goes.

Dodging her volley of punches, I close the gap and deliver an elbow strike to her face, instantly met with her knee in my stomach as a response.

Stumbling back, I manage to guard against her fast kicks with my arms, each hit making my feet slide.

"Are you gonna sit there and keep blocking until you eventually give out?" she asks.

"Not at all," I say.

Throwing one more kick, I catch her leg and sweep her off the other, slamming her on the ground.

She rolls off of her back onto her hands and knees.

Staring at each other, we pant.

Doing better than I thought I would but then again she's pulling her punches.

"You're holding back. How about you whip out that kagune of yours?" I say.

"Very well," she says, unleashing her kagune as she stands up.

Shit, she's a rinkaku-type!

The one type I've had trouble with the most.

I've got nothing to bat away her tentacles besides my arms and legs even then she could easily grab me.

Doesn't mean I'm not going to try my damndest!

We slowly circle around the broken table.

I could go for the gun but I'm sure she knows it's in my mind so I can't do it.

"What's wrong? Can't find a way to approach me?" she giggles.

Unfortunately, she's right.

"Weighing my options currently," I say.

We come to a halt.

I take the smallest step forward and she swings her tentacles, intentionally missing just short of hitting me to prove a point.

I just gotta do it!

I lunge and do a spin kick in the air but she grabs me by the ankle with a tentacle and flips me.

Yeah, that's kinda how I expected this to go.

Landing on my hands, I handstand to avoid a nasty fall.

Should've rolled and got back on my feet instead.

This style is utterly useless to attack a ghoul with when I lack weapons.

Make the best of a bad situation I suppose.

"Is this your winning strategy?" she questions.

"This is a colossal fuck up actually," I answer, chuckling sheepishly.

"Why am I not surprised?" she sighs.

She approaches me and I twirl and kick my legs to defend against her kagune.

Needless to say that it's not working with how much impact those damn things can absorb.

I'm naturally aiming high so how about I suddenly go for her legs instead.

Making myself fall over, I use a hand to pivot my body and swing my legs with the downward momentum, aiming to sweep her off of her feet.

She jumps over my legs and lashes a tentacle across my chest, sending me sliding across the floor.

Before I can stand up fully, she tackles me back down to the floor.

Grabbing the gun, she points it at my face with her kagune trained on me as well.

"I win," she says, smug look on her face.

"Guess so," I chuckle.

She tosses the gun.

"You probably would've had a better chance at winning if you weren't constantly looking off to the side like you're distracted! What's that about?" she says.

I've been had!

"W-What are you talking about?" I ask, trying to play stupid.

"You're doing it right now, dummy!" she shouts.

"How about you turn off the damn eyes already!" I shout back.

"Oh, so that's what it is. Not a fan of how a ghoul's eyes look?" she inquires, trying to get me to look her in the eye.

She's not gonna let me get up until I explain.

Damn it!

"I think a ghoul's kakugan are…," I mumble the last word.

"Hmmm? I didn't hear that last part. Speak up," she says.

"I think a ghoul's kakugan are sexy! There I said it!" I shout.

"Our eyes are sexy, huh? Does that mean you find me sexy then?" she asks.

"M-More than just the eyes but… y-yeah," I stammer.

She seems to ponder for a moment before reaching behind herself and rubbing my crotch.

"H-Hey," I say, blushing.

"You're so stiff already. How about this? If you let me stay, I'll give you sex whenever you want," she offers.

"I-I'm good," I say.

"That's not what your body is telling me right now." she teases.

You know what? This is my chance to be wild and irresponsible like him so I'll just gladly take it.

"You want it? Then let's do it," I say.

"That's what I wanna hear!" she exclaims, tugging my pants down and grabbing my dick.

Moans escape from me as she strokes it.

"How about we get off the floor?" she suggests.

"Certainly," I say.

On the couch, we sit side by side, using her kagune to delicately stroke and squeeze my member while her hands are under my shirt, playing with my nipples.

"C'mon Sa… to… za… ki," she whispers seductively in my ear, licking my neck.

That alone is enough to send me over the edge.

Y-Yuka," I groan.

"You're trembling so much. Reaching your limit already?" she questions.

Moaning, spurts of semen land on her kagune tentacles.

As I pant heavily, she wrings a few more shots from me.

"My my. You're quite a gusher," she smiles.

Letting me free from the bindings of her kagune, she cleans the semen off her kagune with her tongue, reveling as she ingests it.

"Going to just keep staring, Satozaki?" she says, rubbing my left inner thigh.

"S-Sorry, it's just been a while since I've-,"

"Felt a woman's touch?" she guesses, moving her hand to the back of my head.

"Yeah," I say.

"Be grateful I'm changing that," she says, kissing my cheek.

Giving me a sultry smile, she stands up, and discards her clothes.

Completely naked, she straddles me.

Licking her lips, she grabs ahold of my dick, about to lower herself onto me.

"W-Wait," I say nervously.

"Just relax. I've got it covered," she assures.

Penetrating her, we gasp each other's name.

"Fuck, you're such a tight fit," she says.

"God… damn," I grunt.

Her hands firmly on my shoulders, she rides me.

My hands on her plump ass, I plant kisses on her midriff, going up to her right breast and sucking on it.

"Satozaki!" she calls out, bouncing faster.

Reaching our climax, she slams her hips down, both of us moaning loudly as I explode inside her all the while our bodies quake with pleasure.

"Geez, Yuka," I breathe heavily.

"Now let's go upstairs for round two!" she says excitedly.

"R-Round two already?" I question, shocked.

"Hell yeah! Did you really think I was gonna be satisfied after only cumming once?" she says, chuckling.

"That's the only reason you offered that deal, isn't it?" I ask.

"I'm quite a sex hungry ghoul so I simply seized the opportunity. It's a win-win," she admits, shamelessly.

"I'll entertain this deal of yours. You can stay," I say, standing up with her in my arms.

"Ready to have those balls of yours drained?" she snickers.

"Think you can accomplish that before I wear you out? You wanna bet?" I say, cockily as I take her upstairs.

"Oh, I'll bet alright!" she exclaims.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Earlier Than Expected

Mornin' already?

To my surprise, Yukari's still asleep and in bed with me, my arms holding her close.

I honestly expected her to skedaddle or eat me in my sleep despite what we agreed upon last night so at least I know she can be trusted for now.

"Time to rise and shine, Yuka," I say quietly, kissing her on the cheek.

"Good… morning," she yawns.

"Good morning to you too," I chuckle.

"Was last night as fun for you as it was for me?" She asks.

"We did it like five times. Of course it was fun!" I exclaim.

"Good to hear," she giggles.

"In fact…," I start rubbing her pussy with my right hand.

"S-Satozaki!" She moans, shutting her legs.

"Let's do it some more," I grope her left breast with my left hand as I nibble on her neck.

"Let's eat something for breakfast first before we continue to round six," she suggests.

Properly positioning myself to give oral, I spread her legs apart.

"That will be easy to do since you are my breakfast," I go down on her, hungrily licking her pussy.

God, it's only my second time ever doing this but I missed it so much!

"F-Fuck! Eat that pussy good, Satozaki!" She groans, grabbing the back of my head.

Burying my face in her crotch, I continue to eat her out.

"Yeah! Yes! Pump your tongue just like that!" She gasps.

Pulling my tongue out of her, I stand up on my knees.

Erect dick leaking lots of precum, I ram it inside her and thrust my hips with reckless abandon.

"Yuka!" I grunt, locking my eyes with her kakugan.

"Shit! Shit! Don't stop! Nail my pussy like you'll never have it again, Satozaki!" She exclaims as the bed slams against the wall.

"I-I'm about to cum!" I grunt through my gritted teeth.

"Dump your load in me! Splash my insides with your jizz!" She pulls me down on top of her, locking her legs around my waist.

Reaching our climax, we breathe heavily as semen overflows from her entrance.

"That concludes round si-," she collides her lips with mine, cutting me off.

She rolls us over, putting herself on top as we make out.

Breaking the kiss, both of us pant.

"Don't go falling in love with me now," I tease, chuckling.

"You wish! If anything, you're gonna be the one in love with me. Better cherish this deal for however long it lasts," she laughs.

"Trust me, I am," I say.

"Hey, mind if I see one of your hands?" She asks.

"Sure," I answer.

Taking my right hand, she delicately pricks the side of it with her teeth, drawing blood.

Some of the red liquid travels down my arm as she laps her tongue at the bite area and sucks on it.

Finishing up, she catches the trail of blood and cleans up my arm.

"Why did you let me do that, ya weirdo?" She questions, wiping blood from her mouth .

"I was curious plus you looked even sexier while you were doing it so why would I interfere? How about you tell me why you're drinking my blood like a vampire?" I say.

"B-Because I happened to be thirsty," she blushes, her kakugan deactivating.

"Getting a cup of water or coffee for you is a rather menial task," I say.

"Shut up or I'll eat you, Satozaki," she threatens.

"Try that and we'll be fighting again," I warn.

"Oh, you wanna go?!" She shouts.

"Hell yeah!" I yell excitedly.

Feeling each other's frantic breathing, we start to take it down a notch and come back to our senses.

"Maybe some other time. Could you be a dear and fetch my food for me," she says, getting off of me.

That's a bummer.

"Very well," I say, grabbing my glasses off of the nightstand.

Putting them on, I get out of bed and throw on some underwear then head downstairs.

Looking through her bag, I find something wrapped in foil underneath her clothes, undergarments, and the like.

Pulling it out, I can feel how squishy it is.

Wouldn't it have been more beneficial for her had she thrown it in my freezer to keep it as fresh as possible?

I remember when shit like this used to faze me but I guess being desensitized to it is to be expected when one goes through the shit I did as a kid as well as my old job.

Rei makes a perfect case in point of that too.

Going back upstairs to my room, I hand the foiled up meat to her.

"Thank you," she says.

"You're welcome," I say.

A couple seconds pass by in silence, both of us awkwardly staring at each other.

"Could you please leave the room so I can eat?" She asks.

Seriously?

"Are you telling me it's embarrassing for you to eat that in front of me?" I question.

"Y-Yes! You realize this is human meat, right?! Eating this in front of you would be fucking awkward!" She exclaims.

"That's a shame because I really wanna watch," I chuckle.

"R-Really? I'm now convinced you're just a pervert towards ghouls," she says.

"I prefer to call it being morbidly curious about a ghoul's lifestyle. Now hurry up and eat it because it most certainly isn't fresh," I say, sitting beside her on the bed.

"Whatever you say. Fine, I'll eat it in front of you," she says, unwrapping the chunk of meat.

The all-too-familiar stench hits my nose but I don't recoil or anything.

She leisurely takes bites out of it as I watch.

"You could go a little faster, you know," I say.

"Shush. It's not like we're in a rush," she says.

Hearing my phone ring, I reach across the bed and pick it up off of the nightstand.

Wonder who's trying to contact me this early.

My blood freezes upon seeing the text message and who it's from.

"Heeey, Satozaki! I hope you're home right now because I'm coming over for your monthly wellness check. Maybe we can even bond some more. Better not be up to no good though because that would be pretty b-a-d for y-o-u," it reads.

Monthly my ass! He only seems to show up when it's inconvenient for me!

Shit!

"You okay over there? Your hand is trembling," she says, concerned.

I take a deep breath.

I wanted to give it some time first but it seems my hand has been forced.

"Hey, Yuka. Wanna meet some friends of mine?" I ask, getting off the bed and hurrying over to my dresser.

"That's sudden. What for?" She questions.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get the hell out of here immediately!" I say, quickly throwing on clothes and a jacket.

"I'll be fast then," she scarfs down her meal.

After she gets dressed, we take her duffel bag and head out to my car, putting it in the backseat.

He doesn't usually search the house but I can't take that risk of him going through her bag.

The only things I should have to make an excuse for is my coffee table being broken and why I wasn't here.

Getting in the car, we drive off.

I guess the upside of this is that I get to treat myself with that wonderful cafe's food and coffee once more.

Hopefully, I can restrain myself this time when it comes to spending money.

Such is the nature of Anteiku every time I go.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Friends Of The Anteiku Blend (Part 1)

"So are you gonna tell me what that was about?" Yuka asks.

"Let's just say that a CCG investigator checks up on me from time to time and if he saw you or your things, there's a high chance that things would get messy for both of us," I answer.

"Oh shit. The hell did you do to warrant that?" She questions.

"I kinda snapped and attacked several investigators in an attempt to kill the rather famous Arima. Unfortunately, he swiftly took me down," I reply.

"Arima? You mean _the_ Kishou Arima? CCG's Reaper?" She inquires, surprised.

"That's the one," I reply.

"You got a death wish or something?! What would make you do some crazy shit like that?!" She asks, shocked.

"I've got some deeply personal beef with him. I'd rather not talk about it at the moment," I say.

"Then I won't pry," she says.

I still wonder why that bastard didn't kill me when he had the justification to do so.

What does he gain from letting me live?

"You told me you were trying to lay low so if you wanna leave to find a safer place, I completely understand," I say, trying to give her an out.

"I have nowhere else to go. Even if I did, I would rather stay with you," she says softly, laying a hand on my right leg.

"Y-Yuka," I stammer, blushing.

Okay, I seriously have to ask now because it's eating at me like crazy.

I clear my throat and recompose myself.

"So… is there by any chance you have gone by a different name?" I ask.

"Of course I have. That should be obvious. I think you need to be more specific," she says.

Maybe this isn't exactly the time.

I mean what are the odds anyway?

"N-Nevermind, I'm just being dumb," I say as I stop the car at a red light.

"What? Go ahead and tell me what you're thinking," she says.

"L-Let's just drop it. It's not worth bringing up," I try to dissuade her.

"C'mon, just say it already," she eggs me on, rubbing my thigh.

I turn my head to look at her.

This is going to hurt me but I have to know!

"Ritsu… is that you?" I question softly, feeling long buried emotions dig themselves back up inside of me.

She looks off to the side and strokes her left arm.

"Unfortunately, I'm not that person. Sorry," she says with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

Damn it!

"T-That's… fine. I just figured I needed to ask for my own sanity. Consider me a fool for having such hope," I say, unsatisfied and disappointed with her answer.

The traffic light switches over, allowing me to continue driving.

Ritsu's probably dead… just like Rin.

That's just the cruel reality of it as much as I despise it.

"Sounds like she was important," she says.

"I guess you could say that she's the reason why I am the way I am about ghouls," I chuckle, trying to bring the mood up.

"So she's the reason why you're a pervert for ghouls. You had a huge crush on her, didn't you?" Yuka teases.

"I-I did not! She just had some… particular qualities that I noticed and realized that I was into is all," I say defensively.

"You don't have to lie to me. Who am I gonna tell?" She giggles.

"I'm not lying," I insist.

"But you totally wanted to tap it, right? Tell me I'm wrong," she says, smugly grinning.

"Conversation over. Let's listen to the radio," I sigh and push my glasses up, dodging the question.

"You totally wanted to!" She laughs while I ignore her.

I smirk slightly.

Glad we managed to escape that minefield.

After finding a place to park, Yuka and I throw on our jackets before stepping out of the car.

"I shouldn't have to say this but please don't cause trouble," I say as we walk down the sidewalk.

"I have done nothing to suggest that I'm a troublemaker so you shouldn't even be worried," she says.

"Well, I've never really had to introduce someone to friends before so I'm really anxious about this!" I shout nervously.

She takes my right arm and puts it around herself with my hand on her hip.

"Calm down. It's not that hard," she says.

"E-Easy for you to say," I mumble.

With us now standing outside Anteiku, I mentally prepare myself.

"This is where your friends are? You never explained what this place is either," she asks.

"You mean you don't know Anteiku? This is going to be fun," I reply.

Yuka must not be from around these parts.

"It doesn't really look like much but if you say so," she says.

Here we go then!

"Good morning, Yoshimura!" I exclaim cheerfully, walking in with Yuka.

"Whoa," she says, awestruck as she looks around.

"Ah, you're rather early today. Good morning, Satozaki," he greets with that same old smile on his face.

"I just felt like I needed to get out of the house much sooner than usual this time around," I say.

"And I see you brought a friend. Good morning to you as well, miss," he says.

"H-Huh? Oh yeah! I-I'm sorry. I was just caught off guard by how beautiful everything is in here. G-Good morning," she says haphazardly, blushing.

"That's quite alright. First time customers tend to do that," he says.

"Yukari, this is Yoshimura. He's the boss of this splendid cafe," I say.

"A-A pleasure to meet you, sir," she stutters.

"As is mine too, ma'am," he replies.

For someone who told me not to be nervous, I seem to be more well off than her.

As Yuka and I take our seats at the counter, the backroom door flies open with Hinami coming out.

"I thought I was just hearing things at first. What are you doing here much earlier than usual, Mr. Sato?" Hinami questions, rushing to my side.

"I just felt like it is all and what did I tell you about calling me mister? It makes me feel really old," I chuckle as I pat her head.

"Yeah but it is kinda amusing," she grins.

"Such a little rascal," I smile.

"Hey! You gonna say something or what?" Yuka questions me, nudging my arm.

"Oh right. Hinami, how about you introduce yourself to my new friend over here and chat for a bit?" I suggest.

"Okay!" Hinami nods, going over to Yuka.

I'm certain she's still sitting back there in that room trying to wait me out.

"If you don't mind, I'm gonna go in the back for a second, Yoshimura," I say, getting off the stool.

"Go ahead," he says.

"I know you're sitting back there. Why are you hiding from me?" I call out as I slowly approach the room.

I get no response.

"What are you doing?" Yuka asks me.

"Oh, don't worry about him. Stuff like this always happens between those two," Hinami says.

"Those two?" Yuka questions, confused.

"Just watch," Hinami says.

"Touka, I know you hear me!" I shout.

"Uggghhh! What, Satozaki?!" Touka yells, stepping out of the backroom.

"I told you it would be futile to hide, Touka. That man isn't fooled easily," Irimi says, coming out of the room with Koma.

"What can be done really? Let's see how long this goes today," Koma says.

"Still using all of those syllables, Kirishima? It doesn't hurt to shorten it," I question.

"I'm not giving you that satisfaction. You, however, could go with less syllables coming out of those meat flaps you call lips," Touka retorts.

"You won't shorten it down to Sato but I have to call you Touka?" I ask.

This feels like the millionth time we have argued this.

"That's right," she says.

"Y'know what? I'm not here to bicker. I fold this time. May you please take my order instead?" I question.

"That's a shocker," Irimi says.

"That's the fastest it's ever ended to date," Koma says, surprised.

"That's a relief to hear from you, Satozaki… _but_ you do realize that Anteiku isn't even open yet, right?" Touka inquires.

"I'm a rather special customer, aren't I? Perhaps I have something of interest to share that's not for regular customers to hear," I say slyly.

"Yoshimura, why does it always have to be me?" She sighs.

D-Did she just ignore me?!

"Well, I think it says quite a lot that Satozaki prioritizes getting you to take and make his orders. You are the one who served him on his very first visit after all," Yoshimura answers.

"I'm starting to regret it," she mumbles.

Typical Touka.

"Everything is still pretty good even when I don't get her. Hell, Kaneki and Nishiki are the next best thing if Touka isn't here or too busy with other orders. Oh… uh… no offense, Yoshimura, Irimi and Koma. You three are greatly appreciated," I say.

"None taken," the three of them lightly chuckle.

"So before I even take your order, was it ever in your plans to tell me who that woman you brought with you is?" Touka asks.

"I-I was getting to that," I answer.

"Then hurry it up," she slugs me hard in my left arm.

"Ow! I'm doing that right now! Yukari, this is Touka. Please say hi," I say quickly, rubbing my arm.

"Hellooo," Yuka waves her hand high in the air to Touka.

"Hi to you too," Touka says.

"That should take care of everything now," I say, about to return to my seat.

Touka suddenly grabs my shoulder and leans close to my left ear.

"You realize that she's a ghoul, right?" She whispers.

"I'm very aware," I mutter.

"We're gonna talk about this before you leave," she says.

"Do we really have to?" I question.

"We do," she replies sternly.

"Okay then," I sigh.

Releasing her hold on me, I sit back down while Hinami goes over to Touka.

"Before you get his order, we need to step outside for a minute. You don't mind do you, Touka?" Yuka asks, hugging my right arm and pressing it into her cleavage-baring tank top.

"Go ahead. I'm gonna need all the time I can get before putting up with more of his shenanigans anyway," Touka answers.

"Good then let's go," Yuka says, tugging on my arm so hard that I'm pulled from my seat and onto my feet.

"N-Not so rough, Yuka!" I shout as she quickly leads me outside.

"I'm not sure how to break this to you so I'm gonna be blunt. Your friends are ghouls. I can smell it," she says.

Oh, the irony.

"Well, no shit," I chuckle.

"W-Wait… you already knew?" She says, taken aback.

"Yep," I answer casually.

"Do they know that you know that?" She asks.

"Of course. This has been going on for months," I reply.

Processing that, she breathes in deeply.

"… WHAT?!" She exclaims in disbelief.

"How about we go back in and talk about that?" I suggest.

"You're damn right that we're gonna talk about it!" She shouts, hastily pushing me back inside Anteiku.

"That was certainly fast," Yoshimura comments.

Everyone has their eyes on us.

"So let me get this straight. All of us in here are ghouls except Satozaki?" She questions.

"That's correct," Yoshimura answers.

"And you're all friends with this guy?" She asks.

"Indeed," everyone except Touka replies.

"I think friends might be pushing that just a little bit," Touka answers.

"C'mon, Touka! We've known each other for months now! Now you're just hurting my feelings," I whine.

A smug smile slightly appears on Touka's face.

She has too much fun doing this to me.

"If that's the case, why hasn't this dumb idiot been killed or eaten yet?! He's made himself such an easy target!" Yuka frantically shakes me.

"Dumb idiot's a bit of an oxymoron and please stop shaking me," I say.

After letting go of me, I stumble for a second before regaining my stability.

"You must not be from around here if you don't understand what Anteiku is," Koma says.

"For as much information as we give you from answering your questions, you didn't think to explain anything to her on the way here so we wouldn't have to? Some informant you are, Satozaki," Touka says.

"Given prior events like the 11th ward battle from a couple months back, I felt that loose lips might sink ships on Anteiku's part as well as my own. Gotta exercise caution," I reason.

We all had our own little shitshow to deal with back in December.

To think that Kaneki was being tortured all the while I was still in the CCG.

My hands become clenched fists, the world around me slowly begins to fade away.

I would've been there.

I would've been at that battle with Rei.

Maybe just maybe I could've saved Kaneki from all of that pain had I known these guys during that time!

Even then, Arima is to be blamed for my expulsion from that operation and the CCG as a whole.

I couldn't take it!

I had to try and kill him!

He's a traitor and no one sees it but me!

Why did Rin have to die, Arima?!

Why?

WHY?!

"H-Hey, Satozaki. Are you feeling alright?" Yuka asks.

"Satozaki, is something wrong?" Touka questions.

"H-Huh?" I say, snapping back to reality.

Everyone's looking at me.

"Y-Yeah, everything's fine. Was just doing some thinking. Can't help it sometimes," I force myself to laugh.

"Why do you always have to be so weird?" Touka sighs.

"It wouldn't be very on brand of me if I wasn't," I joke.

"That aside, please allow us to fill you in to help your understanding," Yoshimura says.

"Alright, lay it on me then!" Yuka exclaims.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Friends Of The Anteiku Blend (Part 2)

"So that's what Anteiku is," Yuka says.

"That's the gist of it," Irimi says.

"This ward seems far more chill than the others. Had I known that I would've come here as soon as possible," Yuka says.

"Well, you're here now. Now you just don't have to leave," I say.

"I don't plan to," she chuckles.

"So what do you want, Satozaki?" Touka asks, ready to take my order.

"That's easy. I'll ha—shit! What was that for?!" I question, rubbing my left leg due to Touka kicking me.

"I'm not on the menu so don't even pull that," she replies.

"I wasn't going to!" I whine.

"Now that I beat you to the punch, you won't," she says.

"I'll take a simple black coffee for now," I say.

"You mean the thing anyone of us can make?" She points out.

Wow, she is so much more feisty today.

Did I fuck something up?

"Why yes, Touka. The thing any of you can make," I affirm while giving her a smile with my eyes closed, trying to hide how annoyed I am.

"Got it. Could I interest you in a black coffee too, Yukari?" She asks in a slightly more upbeat tone.

"Gladly," Yuka says.

"I see how it is," I say.

Touka lets out a small chuckle.

"Hey, Irimi. Mind lending me a hand?" Touka questions.

"Certainly," Irimi answers, going behind the counter with Touka.

"Allow me to move aside for you two," Yoshimura says.

"Welp, better get to making this place shine even more before we open up," Koma says.

Man, it feels like something has seriously slipped my mind.

"So Sato, did you get my book for me?" Hinami asks, coming back up to my left side.

Silently, Touka gives me a threatening stare making me flinch.

Goddamn it! That's what I forgot about!

"I-I'm sorry, Hinami. I honestly forgot. I promise to bring it to you next time," I chuckle sheepishly, scratching my head.

"Next time means tomorrow, right?" Touka questions with a slightly stern tone while she pours the coffee.

"I'm not entirely certain but probably not," I answer.

"That's okay. If things are a bit difficult for you right now, then just give it to me when you can," Hinami says.

"Nice of you to be so understanding. I am very grateful for your benevolence," I grin.

Hinami grins back.

"One black coffee for the miss," Irimi says, serving Yukari her cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Yukari says.

"No problem," Irimi says.

"And here's your coffee. Now you can't continue to bother me about it," Touka says.

"Much appreciated," I say, taking a sip.

This really takes the edge off.

"Hinami, I'm not sure why you're staring at Satozaki like he can see you while he's enjoying his coffee. If you have something to say to him, then just say it," Touka chuckles.

"H-Huh?! W-Well um…," Hinami stammers.

"My apologies. I didn't notice. Something on your mind?" I inquire, turning to Hinami after setting my cup down.

"I-It's nothing! Please don't worry about it!" She exclaims, shaking her head.

"If ya say so," I reply with a lax shrug.

"I think I get it. You wanted to ask him to read the book with you when he brings it just like Kaneki. Am I right?" Touka asks.

"…Y-Yeah," Hinami answers hesitantly.

"Oh, is that it? I don't mind. In fact, that sounds fun," I say.

"Really?! Thank you!" She suddenly hugs me to my surprise.

"Y-You're welcome, Hinami," I stutter.

Feels like it was only yesterday when Hinami was hesitant and cautious to interact with me though I wouldn't blame her if she stayed that way.

It still makes me sick to my stomach to know how much pain Mado caused.

"Aww, didn't think you were one to be big brotherly," Yukari whispers in my right ear, snickering.

"I'm just being a good friend is all. I'm not gunning for Kaneki's role to Hinami in the slightest," I quickly mutter back.

Though… I may have to step up with how he's been lately.

Please don't do something stupid and wind up dead, Kaneki.

"I'm not sure why you were against asking that. Satozaki isn't one to turn you down," Touka says.

"Well, I know everyone's gotten a little more busy as of late so I felt that it applied to him as well and didn't want to be a bother," Hinami explains.

"Now that's absurd," Touka says.

"Hell yeah it is! No way would you be considered as such!" I shout uproariously.

The room abruptly goes quiet with everyone seeming to be surprised by my sudden outburst.

"M-My bad. Didn't mean to yell like that," I apologize, embarrassed while rubbing the back of my neck.

Everybody starts to laugh at my expense and I join in to avoid feeling awkward.

"That makes me feel much better. Thanks," Hinami says as the laughter dies down.

"Don't sweat it," Touka and I say simultaneously, quickly shooting a glance at each other for stealing the line.

Deciding to not engage, I just go back to enjoying my coffee.

"So Yuka, got any more questions for us or even Sato?" Irimi asks.

"Actually, I do. What's the deal with some of you calling him Sato while others just use his full name? It's kinda strange," Yuka says.

"Oh, I can actually explai—," I start to say.

"He prefers guys to call him Satozaki while ladies call him Sato. May or may not have something more going on there," Nishiki interjects as he suddenly makes his appearance.

That sneaky bastard! I didn't even hear him come in!

"Oh, so that's what it is," Yuka says.

"Goddamn it, Nishiki! Not everyone needs to know! I was just gonna whisper it!" I shout, annoyed.

"Maybe but whispering is for chumps. Be a man and own it," he says, taunting by pushing up his glasses.

So we're doing this now?

Standing up from my seat, I approach Nishiki and push my glasses up.

"You wanna run that by me again?" I question, looking up at him.

"Whispering is for chumps!" He yells.

"You lookin' for a fight?!" I ask, raising my voice to his level.

"Hell yeah! Let's go! I'll knock that head off of your shoulders!" He answers, his kakugan manifesting.

Nishiki and I growl at each other while butting heads.

"Nope. We're not doing this today. I'll kick both of your asses if I need to. Got that?" Touka warns, flashing her kakugan.

"Killjoy," Nishiki and I sigh.

"You have more important matters to tend to like doing the job you agreed to, Satozaki," she reminds me.

"Yeah, I know. I was waiting on Nishiki to get here first," I say, sitting back down.

"Agreement?" Yuka questions.

"Guess we must've skimmed over that. The only reason this guy over here ever found out that we are ghouls was because for some reason he was wandering around the Anteiku area at night and caught me having a quick snack in an alley," Touka replies.

"It's not like I was up to anything nefarious," I say.

"Then enlighten me with the reason for why you were carelessly out at night way back when," she says.

"I… I can't tell you that. Not at the moment," I say hesitantly, looking off to the side to avoid eye contact with Touka.

I really wanted to talk to you that night when I felt I was confident, Touka.

With Yuka being a thing now, I'm unsure of what to do!

"I'm pretty certain I know what it is," Nishiki chimes in.

"Then you should keep it to yourself if that's the case," I say, side eyeing him.

"My lips are sealed. I'm not gonna throw you under the bus," he says.

"Very much appreciated," I say, taking another gulp of coffee.

"Regardless of his reason, I noticed his presence and immediately tried to kill him but he happened to get lucky with Yoshimura stepping in," she says.

"Defusing the situation, we struck a deal with Satozaki for him to pass along whatever he can get his hands on about the goings-on of the CCG to us," Yoshimura says.

"And what did he get in exchange? Other than not dying of course," Yuka asks.

"Go ahead and tell her the dumb thing you wanted," Touka chuckles.

"It's not dumb! I just wanted all of you to answer any questions I have about ghouls and fill me in on ghoul society to satiate my curiosity as well as increase my understanding of things," I say defensively.

"Really? You could've asked for free coffee for a year or something along those lines," Yuka says, unimpressed.

"Touka would smack the very idea of that down!" I dispute.

"You're damn right I would," Touka agrees.

"See?" I say.

Yuka giggles and shrugs.

"Anyway, enough of that. Do you have any updates for us?" Touka questions.

"Well, the thing about that is there has only been rumblings here and there. As far as I know right now, the CCG could be potentially planning to conduct a raid of sorts. I don't know where exactly and I'm not really sure if it's something big or small scale yet. It's weird though because it sounds like it's a couple months from now but usually planning is done on the week of an operation to prevent leaks. It's all fishy," I answer, noticing some kind of reaction from everyone.

"Damn it," Touka mutters, clenching a fist.

"You gotta be shitting me," Nishiki groans.

"That's all I got so far," I say.

"I see. We can really only wait and see how things develop at the moment," Yoshimura says.

I just hope Shinohara and Rei aren't involved in it.

That would stress me the hell out.

Hearing someone abruptly come in, we all quickly turn to see who it is as to stay alert.

K-Kaneki?!

"Did I interrupt something?" Kaneki questions, seemingly puzzled.

We all breathe a sigh of some relief.

"You got some wild sense of timing, y'know that?" Nishiki asks.

"I guess I do. I just figured I would stop by," Kaneki shrugs.

"Kaneki! You've been gone a lot longer than you usually are," Hinami says, rushing over to him.

"Did I make you worry? My bad. I had some important business to tend to," he says, giving her a smile.

After giving a casual wave to Touka, Kaneki looks my way.

"Oh, Satozaki. I've been wanting to discuss something with you if you don't mind," he says.

Shit!

And here I was hoping he wouldn't show up at least until after Yuka and I left.

I take a deep breath and exhale.

"Sure thing," I say.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Friends Of The Anteiku Blend (Part FINAL)

"So… what is it you want to discuss?" I ask as Kaneki and I sit down in one of the booths.

"The usual of course," Kaneki says.

"I figured as much. It's about time you take a break and relax from all of that," I sigh.

"You could consider coming here as a break," he says.

"I guess I could… but you're still here mainly to get info so I won't," I chuckle.

Touka quietly comes over with a fresh cup of black coffee and gives it to Kaneki.

"Oh, thank you, Touka," he says.

"Don't mention it," Touka says.

"I still don't understand why I get all of the sass. Honestly, it's not fair in the sligh—Yeowch! Did that kick really need more power behind it?! You're gonna snap my leg one of these damn days!" I exclaim, having been swiftly kicked in the leg again by Touka.

"That's the idea so stop whining unless that's what you want," she replies, walking away.

"Fine," I mutter, rubbing my leg.

Kaneki lightly chuckles, a small smile on his face.

"Amused at my expense over there?" I ask.

"Not particularly. That just made me think back a little. "Well, that and the fact you've yet to notice the woman at the counter staring intensely at you," he answers.

I turn my head and sure enough, Yuka is doing as he described with the addition of her cup at her lips.

Ugh, might as well get it out of the way.

"Yuka, you're more than welcome to come over here," I say.

"About time," Yuka says, walking over and sitting down beside me.

"Kaneki, this is Yukari or Yuka for short. She's… a very new friend of mine," I say.

"I'm a little more than just a friend, Sato," she whispers just loud enough for Kaneki to hear while she hugs my left arm.

I see she has decided to adopt the short name.

"Y-Yuka! He doesn't need to know that!" I blush, embarrassed.

"Nice to see that you have been improving yourself after all," Kaneki says, a little surprised.

Wish I could say the same to him.

"W-What's that mean?! You think I was lying to your face?!" I shout defensively.

"To be rather blunt, I wouldn't be surprised if you did," he says, snickering slightly.

"Oh, c'mon! You gotta give me some credit, man! I ain't told a lie to you yet and that's a fact!" I say.

"Keyword is yet," Yuka clarifies, giggling.

"You're not helping," I say.

"Anyway, back to the important matters," he says.

"Oh yeah. You can return to your seat at the counter, Yuka," I say.

"Aww, am I not allowed to listen in?" She questions.

"It's the same stuff I just told everyone else unless you'd like to hear me repeat myself, then you're welcome to be my guest," I say.

"Nah, I'll pass on that," she says, standing up and going back to her original seat.

I thought so.

"Hey, Touka. Mind letting me talk your ear off for a minute?" She asks.

"I guess," Touka answers.

Might as well get this over with since I can't really avoid it.

Informing Kaneki of the current CCG situation albeit reluctantly, he takes occasional sips of his coffee and nods as he digests the info.

"And that's how it is at the moment," I finish.

"…How strange. It has to be big if they're changing stuff up to limit as much information as possible," Kaneki says.

"So what do you plan to do knowing their behavior right now?" I inquire.

"I figured that it's obvious what I'm gonna do. The same as usual," he answers.

"You _could_ just stick around this ward instead, y'know?" I suggest.

"You know I can't do that. How am I to deal with any rising threats by staying here?" He questions.

"For all we know, there could be a threat here just hiding out until they deem it the right time," I say, worried.

"Maybe but I highly doubt Anteiku is in any danger from the CCG or even Aogiri after my whole kidnapping situation. Aogiri wouldn't try to do the same thing because that would be a foolish strategy. The CCG wouldn't waste time on Anteiku with Aogiri having made their recent moves. Anteiku and this ward have been quiet these past few months with no rumblings of danger so no need for your concern though I appreciate it," he says.

Yeah, that's the logic I've been running through my head yet I can't help but think there's more at play here than we realize like some kinda diversion or a purposely reckless move.

"I guess you have a good point," I sigh as he finishes his coffee.

Maybe it's nothing and I'm just overthinking this… but still.

"Anyway, I must get going. I'm sure things will continue to be fine," he stands up and exits the booth.

I quickly stand up and firmly grab onto his left arm, catching everyone's attention.

"If you won't stick around for your mission, at least stay around a little longer than usual for your friends, man. You've been gone for a month this time around," I whisper.

"It's for the greater good," he whispers back before looking at the floor. "But I can't say that I don't understand your viewpoint. It's kinda cruel to just drop in and out like this every couple weeks to a month without really interacting much. I guess it wouldn't hurt to be around longer. However, if something comes up then my hands are tied," he adds.

"Fair enough I suppose," I let go of his arm.

"Well, I'll see all of you around. Thank you for the info as well as the coffee," he says.

"Anytime," Touka and I say.

"Take care!" Everyone else says.

Kaneki nods and waves goodbye as he starts to leave.

Just before he can reach the door, Hinami quickly runs in front of it.

"Please let me come with you this time, Kaneki!" Hinami begs.

"Hinami…," Touka mutters.

"Still too dangerous. You're better off here," Kaneki says.

"You always say that though…," Hinami droops her head.

"That just happens to be the case every time," he chuckles, patting her head. "I do have some good news to tell you,"

"R-Really?" She asks.

Kaneki kneels down and whispers something in her ear, prompting her to suddenly hug him afterwards.

After she lets him go, he tells her goodbye and walks out of the door.

Almost immediately, Hinami sets her sights on me and sprints my way.

"H-Hinami, w-why are you running at me—aargh!" I yelp as she full on tackles me to the floor with a hug.

"Thank you so much, Mis—Sato!" She exclaims cheerfully.

"I… don't know what… I did but you're welcome, Hinami," I say, having had the wind knocked out of me.

"You know exactly what you did. No need to be modest," she says.

I guess he must've told her that it was my idea to have him stay longer. He should've just taken the credit for himself.

"Either way… give me a warning before you do that. I'm only human after all," I say, slowly sitting up.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" She asks, quickly getting off of me.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it," I assure, rising back up to my feet. "Well, I think it's about time we hit the road as well. Ready, Yuka?"

Yuka quickly downs the rest of her coffee.

"Ah, all set!" She answers, giving a thumbs up.

"Actually, we needed to discuss something. I hope you didn't forget that, Satozaki," Touka says, coming from behind the counter.

I was really hoping that she forgot.

"O-Of course not. I was testing to see if you remembered. I'll be back in a few minutes, Yuka," I say, following Touka.

"Mhmm," she says, clearly not believing me.

"Damn it, Sato! You made me gulp that down when I was still savoring it!" Yuka pouts.

"Sorry about that. My mistake," I chuckle sheepishly.

"Hey, Irimi. Could I please get another cup of coffee?" She questions.

"Certainly," Irimi says.

Going upstairs with Touka, we walk into one of the private rooms.

"Where did Yuka come from?" Touka questions, closing and locking the door.

"Beats me. She just randomly showed up to my house last night," I reply.

"And you let her stay?!" She raises her voice.

"Yuka told me she didn't want any trouble and just needed a place to crash for a bit so yeah I did," I answer.

"For how long?" She inquires.

"For however long she needs to," I say.

"And what are you getting out of this arrangement?" She asks, stepping closer to me.

"That… doesn't matter," I say.

"She's fucking you, isn't she?" She says.

"…Yeah… so?" I respond.

"So you're fooling around with someone you don't know let alone a ghoul at that?" She points out.

"I am! What of it?! It was all a spur of the moment thing! What do you want me to do?!" I ask.

"Kick her out!" She replies.

"I very well could… but something tells me I shouldn't so I won't," I say.

"Why not?" She says.

"She reminds me of an old friend. Someone who I owe a lot to. That's why," I say.

"And what if she's not who you believe her to be?" She questions.

"Then I will have wasted my time," I answer.

"… I don't understand you, Satozaki," she says, calming down.

"I don't understand myself either sometimes… I'll see ya later," I say, walking past her.

She grabs my right shoulder, stopping me.

"I don't want to see you end up dead or turn back into that complete depressed mess you were. So tell me, is Yuka really making you feel better?" She says.

"For the time being, yes she is," I say.

"Then be careful just in case," she says.

"I will," I say.

Attempting to move, Touka's hand pulls me back.

"I thought we were done," I say, confused as I turn to face her.

"Let's get something else out of the way since we're alone because it's long overdue. Tell me, why were you outside that night?" she questions.

S-She still wants to know?!

"Touka… I can't," I say hesitantly.

"Yes you can. Just look me in the face and say it," she assures, brushing her bangs aside to show her other eye.

"I-I-It's not that easy to do," I stammer while making eye contact.

"Why is it so hard for you to tell me? Am I not the friend you trust the most?" She inquires.

"Y-You are… it's… I don't know why… it just is!" I stumble through my words as my mind and heart race.

She sighs.

"How about I sock you in the gut then? Would that help you get the words out?" She asks, balling up a fist as she slowly approaches me.

"Now, Touka. L-Let's not turn to violence!" I throw my hands up and back away, trying to shield any potential punches.

"Then spill it! You're starting to really piss me off!" She warns.

Feeling my back press against the door, I frantically search for the doorknob with my left hand.

"I-It's not that serious! P-Please chill out, Touka!" I plead.

"Three… two… one…," she readies her jab.

Come up with something quick!

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted some help with studying!" I blurt out very fast.

"… What?" She drops her fist, visibly confused.

"I… I know you're thinking about going to Kamii so I figured I would offer my assistance if you wanted it. I don't have any ounce of college experience but I'm still pretty smart," I chuckle nervously, rubbing the back of my head.

"…You're telling me you risked death that night just for that?" She asks.

"T-That's right!" I answer.

She suddenly slugs me in the gut, forcing me to hold my stomach and drop to my knees while I cough.

Fuck, I wasn't ready at all for that one.

"You say you're smart yet you act so stupidly! You could've just waited until morning for that so that way I wouldn't have had to worry!" She shouts, frustrated.

"Worry? You mean about having to kill me?" I breathe heavily.

"What the hell do you think, Sato?!" She yells.

"So you actually do care about me? You even shortened it to Sato. I must say that it's pretty cute to hear you use it for once, Touka. Then again, just hearing my name uttered from that beautiful face of yours suffices plenty," I speak bluntly.

…D-Did I just…?

Slowly looking up at Touka, she's completely silent, blushing really hard with a mixture of shock and some disgust encompassing her face.

I definitely said that shit out loud!

Guess it's time to retreat!

"…Heh heh… t-this was a nice talk and all but I surely must get going," I slowly stand up, still clutching my stomach while I unlock the door.

"_Satozaki_!" She growls lowly through grit teeth, her hands forming into fists.

Yep, it's definitely time to leave!

"Y-Yeah?" I start sliding out the door through the narrow opening.

"What did I say about allowing dumb shit like that to escape your mouth?!" Her kakugan and kagune manifest as she zooms towards me.

"N-Not to!" I reply quickly, shutting the door and making a break for the stairs.

Why can't she ever just take a compliment?!

Seeing her kick the door open, I hurry down the stairs as fast as I can only to trip on my own feet and fall.

I painfully groan as I barrel down the stairs, catching everyone by surprise when I land at the bottom of them.

"Are you alright?!" Yuka and Hinami question, hurrying over to me.

"I'm good. Just tripped and fell down the stairs is all. A much better outcome than if Touka got hold of me. Allow me to just lay here for a minute or so," I do my best to laugh the pain away, grinning with a little bit of blood flowing from my bottom lip.

Yuka and Hinami just shake their heads disappointedly.

"I swear you're just asking for it sometimes, man," Nishiki comments, looking down at me through his glared up glasses.

"Probably," I grunt.

At least my glasses somehow didn't take any damage from the fall so that's good.

Touka comes casually walking down the stairs, back to normal.

"Accidentally broke the lock on one of the doors. I'll fix it later," Touka says.

Yoshimura simply does the all too familiar nod associated with me and Touka's antics.

"It was only a matter of time I guess," Koma sighs

"At least only one thing got broken this time around," Irimi says.

"Hey, Satozaki," Touka looks down at me.

"That's me," I say.

"Good… talk," she forces herself to say as she pulls her bangs back over her right eye, simultaneously struggling to not blush and to not kick my ass.

Stepping over my body, Touka goes back to standing behind the counter.

Taking a deep breath, I get off the floor and dust myself off, wiping away the blood from my lip with the back of my hand as well.

"Alright, did you get to fully enjoy your coffee this time, Yuka?" I question.

"That I did. Are you ready to go home?" Yuka asks.

"Definitely," I answer. "Here's the money for the coffee. Thanks for serving us," I place the amount owed on the counter.

"Not a problem. It's our pleasure," Yoshimura says, bowing. "Would you mind flipping the sign on your way out?"

"That's the least I could do," I reply.

"And before you go, here's a little something to tide you over until your next visit, Yuka. Free of charge," Irimi hands Yuka a tightly wrapped up package.

"Wait, is this meat?! Not only is this a lifesaver but I get to avoid an awkward talk with Sato as well!" Yuka cheers.

Yeah, I'd rather we not have that talk ever even as morbidly entertaining as it may be so it's good that Anteiku gets meat through a process that's much easier on my conscience… or what I've got left of one if I'm honest with myself.

"Glad we can be of help to you," Irimi says.

Saying our goodbyes, Yuka and I make our exit, turning the sign to open.

I'm still not ready to deal with him because he's surely just sitting around my house like usual.

"So a question just popped in my head, does the Anteiku group have a special code name or something you use?" Yuka inquires.

"…It's Anteiku, Yuka," I answer, not quite sure of what she's asking.

"I know that! I mean besides just that name. Like do you have some kind of title you use?" She clarifies.

"Oh, I gotcha! I actually do have one in mind. They're my Friends Of The Anteiku Blend. Clever, huh?" I say proudly.

"Is that pun intentional?" Her face tries to restrain her giggling.

"Of course it is. What's funny about it?" I say.

"Oh my god! I can't with you! That's so awful, Sato! You really need to workshop that 'cause there's no way in hell that you didn't just come up with that on the spot!" she bursts into laughter.

"I just can't win today, can I?! I-It's not even that bad!" I say defensively.

"You can keep telling yourself that. If you got more bad jokes than just that one, I would love to hear some more," she says.

"You're dangerously close to being left behind, you know that?" A chuckle escapes my lips.

"You wouldn't do that to me because then sex would be off the table," she throws my right arm around her.

"So it'd be on the floor when you realize you want it too much to withhold it? No complaints here," I snicker, adjusting my glasses with my left hand.

"Alright, smartass. I'll let you have that one," She giggles. "So where are we goin' now?"

"Home of course," I reply.

"Isn't that investigator you mentioned there though?" She asks.

"Yeah and he's gonna wait around until he talks to me so trying to dodge him is pointless," I explain.

"Are you certain you got this?" She says, concerned.

"I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time we get there," I say, assuring her.


End file.
